Car-coupling



L. J. JOHNSON. Car-Coupling..

No. 227,538. Patented N|ay11,18 8().v

' I ,WITNESSES I y l l vENToR N. PETERS. PHUTOAJTMOGRPHER. WASHINGTON D C `UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS J. JOHNSON, 0F ELK FALLS, KANSAS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 227,538, dated May 11, 1880.

Application filed February 27, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIs J. JOHNSON, of Elk Falls, in the county of Elk and State of Kansas, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Car Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specificatiomand tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the 'drawings is arepresentation of a rear-end view of my improved car-coupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the same, partly in section; and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the coupling-bar.

This invention has for its object to provide a durable and efficient car-coupling which can be readily operated without involving the necessity of going in between the approaching ends of the cars to arrange the coupling devices.

The invention consists in the construction and novel arrangement of upper and lower sections or jaws pivoted together, forming a drawbar, lateral bearing-boxes containing springs in which the journals of the draw-bar are seated, a coupling-bar havinga head connected to the shank by a beveled shoulder, and lever de-V vices for keeping the jaws closed upon the head of the coupling-bar, all as hereinafter fully shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, the letter A designates the bottom of the car or framework to which the draw-bar is connected. This draw-bar is composed of an upper section, B, and a lower section, G, each of which extends its entire length, and which are pivoted together near their middle portions, as indicated at a, as shown in Fig. 2. Usually these sections are pivoted together by a strong transverse rod or bar, b, which passes through the stout side walls, c, of the sections, and extends into the lateral bearing-boxes D D, which are bolted to the bottom of the caron each side of the draw head. These boxes contain springs, against which the ends of the journals b abut, and by which said journals are cushioned and the draw-bar protected from injury by the violent shocks to which it is subjected. The inner walls of these boxes D D are slotted for the journal-bearings, so as to afford suflicient play, and at the same time to locate the drawbar a little below the car-bottom, so thatit will have some play upon its journals and be capable of an inclination downward or upward, ac cording to the varying heights of the cars to which it may be connected. In this manner the draft will be in a direct line between the journals of the draw-bars, and there will be no.

strain on the coupling-bar to bend or break it L or to cause leverage which might open the jawsoi` the draw-head B and C. These jaws are kept open at their front or mouth ends by means of a spring, E, arranged between-them in suitable seats, and the mouth being bellshaped the rounded and beveled head of the of a transverse lever, K, connected at one end to an armm, extending to the rear of the drawbar, and on the other to a chain, s, extending forward, and a winding post, L, extending downward through the car-platform, to which the forward end of said chain is connected, and by which said lever is operated to open and close the jaws B O. This winding-post is designed to be supplied with a ratchet-andpawl stop, to hold it to position when the chain is wound sufliciently to close the jaws of the draw-bar.

The shoulder z of the head of the couplingbar is made beveled, as indicated in the drawings, so that when the jaws are opened by the action of the spring between them, after the chainV is loosened, the coupling -bar will at once become disconnected, the head slipping easily from its bearing-recess g. The coupling is therefore eliected by the clutch of the jaws B and C on the head of the bar, and its shank is also forcibly grasped by the notches IOO 15 of thedraw-head abut, and suitable lever mechi anism for closing the sectionjaws, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the pivoted upper and lower sections, B C, and the opening-spring E between the two, of the rear toggle-joint, H, 2o the transverse operating lever K, and the operating-chain s, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my naine in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS J. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

JOHN RANsoM, J o1: CARR. 

